A complete, traceable reading of the original dimensions, with their definitions, anchors, observation cues and distinctions preserved.
41
DIMENSIONS
The complete original inventory.
38
ORDINAL SCALES
Seven written anchors on each scale.
03
CATEGORICAL SETS
Shot, interaction and body configuration.
Humaneness PerformanceNet · Reference library
Part of Humaneness PerformanceNet: Script Analysis authors a performance from source material; Performance Annotation describes recorded or generated scenes. Shared taxonomies support filtering, generation and diverse data selection.
Appendix A / Reader’s guide
How to read this volume
Read the definition, confirm that the evidence is available, then compare the observed interval with the written anchors.
Part of an entry
How to use it
Identifier
A stable lookup code, such as REC-INF or BOD-OPN. It names a dimension; it is not a score.
Definition
What this dimension asks you to describe. Keep the person, interval and relevant target explicit.
Anchors
The meaning of each available value. Read the words before selecting a number.
What to look for
Candidate evidence to record. A cue does not by itself establish a motive or private state.
Do not confuse with
The boundary between this dimension and nearby ideas.
Zero is a value; missing is a different statement
On an ordinal 0–6 scale, 0 is the first anchored category, not a missing value or a universal absence of behaviour. Numeric distances are not known to be equal. When evidence is unavailable or the dimension does not apply, record the reason; a machine-readable null means no assigned value. Do not replace it with 0.
Temporal pattern means the performance can change. Name the interval and describe transitions that one value would erase. Keep confidence and evidence separate from the selected category.
Three dimensions use named categories
CAP-SHT, CAP-INT and CAP-POS describe shot scale, interaction setting and body configuration. Their numbers identify alternatives. They do not measure an intensity or a universal progression from worse to better.
Historical wording, current interpretation. Definitions and anchors retain their source text; clearly separate name glosses explain code references where they occur. Historical introduction/version markers are consolidated in the provenance key. Claims about brain mechanisms, authenticity or deception remain source history, not evidence of a person’s private state. Apply the corrections in main Section 2.
Appendix A / Complete reference
Inherited dimensions
Cognitive Control & Reception
REC-INF
Receptivity & Influencability
Permeability to external impulses: how far the person lets the environment — sounds, partner, atmosphere, weather in the room — organically modulate their behaviour.
Source page 4 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
REC-INF value
Anchor · Receptivity & Influencability
0
Hermetically sealed. Crossed arms and legs, ambient events produce no reaction at all.
1
Strongly closed. Only major disruptions register, and only after a delay.
2
Selective. Responds to direct address, filters out subtler stimuli. Physical distance maintained.
3
Ordinary everyday permeability. Attentive, but the room does not enter the body.
4
Noticeably open. Open torso, soft scanning gaze, micro-rhythm begins to follow the room.
5
Highly porous. Micro-expressions track small changes in light, sound and movement nearby.
6
Radically permeable. Every ambient event visibly passes through the body.
Receptivity & Influencability · Observation notes
What to look for: Torso opening, limb crossing, soft vs. hard focus, startle latency, adaptation of breathing and micro-rhythm to ambient events.
Do not confuse with:Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR) (attention aimed at one person) and Relational Entrainment (SOC-ENT) (mutual, bidirectional coupling). Receptivity & Influencability (REC-INF) is undirected openness to everything.
COG-EXE
Executive Control vs. Spontaneity
Whether the performance is rationally planned (System 2 / DLPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; a source brain-region explanation, not an observation)) or generated intuitively in the moment (System 1). Low = a programme is being run off; high = behaviour is invented live.
Source page 4 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COG-EXE value
Anchor · Executive Control vs. Spontaneity
0
Fully scripted. Teleprompter feel, memorised, constant tempo, no live thought whatsoever.
1
Rehearsed. Rare deviations, and those look staged too.
2
Mostly pre-planned. Small hesitations occur, but the route never changes.
3
Prepared but flexible. A clear through-line with room for short spontaneous reactions.
4
Visibly thinking while speaking. Formulations are assembled in the moment.
5
Shot through with micro-distractions. Genuine self-interruption, organic slips, authentic fillers.
6
Wholly improvised presence. Every impulse is generated live — 'juggling several balls at once'.
Executive Control vs. Spontaneity · Observation notes
What to look for: Speech-thinking (Sprechdenken), unplanned pauses, self-correction, reaction to unforeseen events, unfinished thoughts that are picked up again.
Do not confuse with:Motor Inhibition (COG-INH) (how far impulses are suppressed) and Transparency vs. Masking (COH-MSK) (how far they are hidden). A performance can be spontaneous and heavily masked.
COG-INH
Motor Inhibition
Suppression of intuitive motor impulses (ventrolateral prefrontal control). Are spontaneous movements allowed through, or actively frozen?
Source page 4 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COG-INH value
Anchor · Motor Inhibition
0
Uninhibited. Every limbic signal becomes movement: weight shifts, scratching, blinking, fidgeting.
1
Barely filtered. Frequent adaptor movements, body fully permeable to inner states.
2
Light regulation of the most disruptive tics only.
3
Situationally regulated. Supporting movement flows, disruptive movement is checked. Balanced tone.
4
Noticeably contained. Stillness is held, and the holding is visible.
Rigid hyper-control. Near-total motor shutdown — typical of deception, acute stress, unnatural posing.
Motor Inhibition · Observation notes
What to look for: Adaptor frequency, blink suppression, held breath, hands parked and kept still, absence of weight shifts over long spans.
Do not confuse with:Muscular Tension (PHY-TEN) (muscular state). A body can be tense and still move freely, or relaxed and still be inhibited.
COG-LOD
Cognitive Load & Absorption
Visible mental processing effort: how much of the person's capacity is bound up in an internal problem. Low = cognitively free, unencumbered, available for anything. High = lost in thought, mentally elsewhere.
Source page 5 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COG-LOD value
Anchor · Cognitive Load & Absorption
0
Completely unencumbered. Effortless and available; nothing is being worked on internally.
1
Very light load. Immediate responses, no search behaviour.
2
Mild engagement. Occasional brief word-search or checking pause.
Heavily absorbed. Visibly inside a problem; external prompts arrive late and are answered late.
6
Total absorption. Brow locked, gaze unseeing, the environment has effectively disappeared.
Cognitive Load & Absorption · Observation notes
What to look for: Gaze aversion during retrieval, thinking pauses, corrugator (brow) tension, head self-touch, frozen gestures, lengthened response latency, disfluency.
Do not confuse with: The visual counterpart of VoiceNet Cognitive Load (COGL) — annotate both when audio is available. Distinguish from Attentional Aperture (ATT-APR): narrow attention can carry very low load, and diffuse attention can carry high load.
Attention, Intention & Task
INT-GOL
Goal Orientation
How strongly the behaviour is organised around something the person wants to achieve in the scene (the Stanislavskian 'objective'). Wanting something from someone, as against simply being in a state.
Source page 5 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
INT-GOL value
Anchor · Goal Orientation
0
No objective. Pure state or drift; the behaviour serves nothing.
1
Vague impulse. Occasional aimless attempts that lead nowhere.
2
Loose intention that dissolves at the first resistance.
3
Clear but relaxed purpose. Wants something, not urgently.
4
Actively pursuing. Utterances and movements are recognisable steps towards an end.
5
Strongly goal-locked. Obstacles are worked around rather than accepted; the line is driven.
6
Absolute drive. Words, body, gaze and timing are all instrumental to the objective.
Goal Orientation · Observation notes
What to look for: Recurring returns to one topic after deflection, escalation after refusal, spatial approach towards what is wanted, structural build of arguments, refusal to be diverted.
Do not confuse with:Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA) (status) and Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR) (target). A low-status character can pursue an objective relentlessly; a dominant one can want nothing at all.
INT-TAC
Tactical Adaptivity
Given an objective, how far the person varies tactics — charm, threat, plea, joke, withdrawal — when the current one fails.
Source page 5 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
INT-TAC value
Anchor · Tactical Adaptivity
0
One tactic, repeated regardless of effect.
1
Barely varies. Louder repetition instead of a new approach.
2
Adjustments of tone only; the strategy stays the same.
3
Changes approach once the current one is clearly blocked.
4
Several distinct tactics within the beat, cued by the partner's feedback.
5
Rapid, fluent switching. Resistance is read and the route recalculated.
6
Continuous re-strategising. Every rebuff produces a new, fully committed approach.
Tactical Adaptivity · Observation notes
What to look for: Abrupt changes of register, tone or proxemics after a rebuff; new argument types; switching between pressure and warmth.
Do not confuse with: Undefined when Goal Orientation (INT-GOL) is 0–1 — mark N/A (not applicable or not assessable here). Distinguish from Emotional Blending & Continuity (COH-BLE), which rates the smoothness of transitions, not their strategic function.
ATT-PTR
Partner-Directed Attention
How much attention is allocated to another person (or a specific target) as opposed to the self, the task or the environment.
Source page 5 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
ATT-PTR value
Anchor · Partner-Directed Attention
0
The partner is effectively absent. Wholly self- or task-absorbed.
1
Rare, purely functional glances.
2
Intermittent attention, mostly on one's own line or task.
3
Balanced between partner, self and task.
4
Predominantly on the partner; their reactions are tracked and used.
5
Strongly partner-locked. Own agenda subordinated to reading the other.
6
Total fixation. Every micro-signal of the other is tracked; nothing else exists.
Partner-Directed Attention · Observation notes
What to look for: Gaze dwell time on the partner, orientation of feet and torso, response latency to the partner's micro-behaviour, whether reactions land before the partner has finished.
Do not confuse with:Relational Entrainment (SOC-ENT), which requires mutual adaptation. Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR) is one-directional and can be clinical, predatory or adoring.
ATT-APR
Attentional Aperture
The width of the attentional field: pinpoint tunnel vision through to panoramic, diffuse awareness.
Source page 6 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
ATT-APR value
Anchor · Attentional Aperture
0
Extreme tunnel. One point; the surrounding world is gone (panic, threading a needle).
1
Very narrow. Hard focus on a single object or idea.
2
Narrowed, with occasional wide checks.
3
Ordinary alternation between focused and open attention.
4
Noticeably wide. Several sources monitored at once.
5
Panoramic. Soft focus, the whole room held simultaneously.
6
Fully diffuse. No foreground at all; floating, unselective awareness.
Attentional Aperture · Observation notes
What to look for: Saccade range, head turns, peripheral reactions, whether events at the edge of the space are noticed, hard vs. soft focus of the eyes.
Do not confuse with:Cognitive Load & Absorption (COG-LOD) (effort) and Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR) (target). Aperture is width; it says nothing about what is in the field or how hard the processing is.
ATT-GAZ
Gaze Anchoring
The gaze regime: avoidance, through ordinary alternation of contact and release, to unbroken staring. Includes gaze stability.
Source page 6 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
ATT-GAZ value
Anchor · Gaze Anchoring
0
Avoidant. Eyes down or away; contact broken the instant it occurs.
1
Fleeting contact, quickly withdrawn.
2
Contact in short bursts, frequently interrupted; drifting gaze.
3
Culturally ordinary alternation of contact and release.
Unbroken locked stare with no release — confrontation, trance, predation.
Gaze Anchoring · Observation notes
What to look for: Contact duration, blink rate, saccade frequency, direction of gaze aversion during recall, whether release is timed to the speech or to discomfort.
Do not confuse with:Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR): a person can attend intensely to a partner while looking away from them, and can hold eye contact while attending to nothing.
ACT-TSK
Concurrent Task Load
How much of the person's hands and attention are committed to a practical task running alongside the situation — stage business, work, cooking, driving, a phone, a child.
Source page 6 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
ACT-TSK value
Anchor · Concurrent Task Load
0
No task. Hands free; the person is wholly available to the situation.
1
A token object held; no real demand on attention.
2
A light task handled automatically; speech is unaffected.
3
A real task shares the attention. Brief pauses at the difficult moments.
4
The task clearly competes. Speech pauses and fragments at task peaks.
5
The task leads. Speech becomes residual — short, distracted, timed to gaps in the work.
6
The task dominates. Language survives only as fragments between operations.
Concurrent Task Load · Observation notes
What to look for: Hands occupied, gaze on the object rather than the partner, speech timed around task peaks, response latency rising as the task gets harder, gestures unavailable because the hands are busy.
Do not confuse with:Cognitive Load & Absorption (COG-LOD) (mental effort) and Exertion & Metabolic Load (PHY-EXR) (metabolic effort). Typing is high task load and near-zero exertion; carrying a beam is the reverse.
Somatic Presence & Physicality
PHY-SEN
Sensory Grounding
How far the person is anchored in physical sensation as against being caught inside their own intellect: consciously living in the skin, receiving texture, room climate and bodily feeling.
Source page 6 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-SEN value
Anchor · Sensory Grounding
0
Fully abstracted. Disembodied; cold, material and texture go unregistered; eyes turned inward though open.
1
Largely detached from bodily experience.
2
Mildly present in the body. Only obvious stimuli register.
3
Ordinary body awareness. Responds to clear sensory events — a loud noise, physical contact.
4
Noticeably in the body. Texture, temperature and own breath register.
5
Highly sensitive. Micro-expressions show pleasure or aversion at subtle stimuli.
6
Fully inhabited. Every touch, sound and breath is lived; movement is soft and grounded.
Sensory Grounding · Observation notes
What to look for: Contact with surfaces, reaction to temperature and clothing, breath depth, softness of movement, savouring pauses.
Do not confuse with:Weight & Groundedness (PHY-GRD) (relation to gravity) and Cognitive Load & Absorption (COG-LOD) (mental absorption). High load frequently drives sensory grounding down, but the two are separately rateable.
PHY-MOS
Motor Output Source
The primary origin of movement: premotor areas serving cognitive illustration (head-driven) or the autonomic nervous system as affective expression (gut-driven).
Source page 7 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-MOS value
Anchor · Motor Output Source
0
Purely illustrative. Hands are a baton for speech; movement stops the moment speaking stops.
1
Predominantly ideational gesture, tightly bound to syntax.
2
Mostly illustrative, with occasional affective leakage.
3
Hybrid. Concepts explained with the hands; emotional posture shifts appear in pauses.
4
Predominantly affective. Movement continues independently of the sentence.
5
Largely autonomic. Rocking, weight shifting and breath serve self-regulation.
6
Pure somatic discharge. Movement unlinked to language; raw affect regulation.
Motor Output Source · Observation notes
What to look for: Whether gesture stops with speech, presence of rhythmic self-soothing, gesture that contradicts syntax, breath-driven rather than word-driven movement.
Do not confuse with:Kinetic Amplitude (KIN-AMP) (size) and Motor Tempo (KIN-TMP) (speed). Source is about function, not magnitude.
PHY-ARO
Somatic Arousal
Visible physiological activation, from near-shutdown to fight-or-flight. The visual counterpart of VoiceNet Arousal (AROU).
Source page 7 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-ARO value
Anchor · Somatic Arousal
0
Near-shutdown. Slumped, minimal movement, heavy lids.
1
Very low activation. Sluggish initiation, delayed everything.
2
Calm; energy deliberately kept down.
3
Ordinary alert baseline.
4
Elevated. Faster movement initiation, raised breathing rate.
5
High activation. Visible tremor, flushing, restless limbs, widened eyes.
6
Maximum mobilisation. Panic- or rage-level activation; breath at its ceiling.
Somatic Arousal · Observation notes
What to look for: Breath rate and depth, pupil and lid aperture, tremor, skin colour change, speed of movement initiation, restlessness of the extremities.
Do not confuse with:Motor Tempo (KIN-TMP): an aroused body can be held still (high Somatic Arousal (PHY-ARO), low Motor Tempo (KIN-TMP), high Motor Inhibition (COG-INH)) — a common signature of contained panic.
PHY-TEN
Muscular Tension
Postural tonus in neck, jaw, shoulders and hands. The visual counterpart of VoiceNet Tension (TENS).
Source page 7 · Ordered categories, 0–6
PHY-TEN value
Anchor · Muscular Tension
0
Collapsed. No tonus at all; boneless, poured into the furniture.
Rigid. The whole body armoured; tremor from sustained contraction.
Muscular Tension · Observation notes
What to look for: Shoulder height, jaw and lip tension, hand posture, neck tendons, breath restricted to the upper chest.
Do not confuse with:Motor Inhibition (COG-INH). Inhibition suppresses impulses; tension is a muscular state. High tension with free-flowing movement is common in exertion and rage.
PHY-GRD
Weight & Groundedness
Vertical organisation and relation to gravity: collapsed and pulled down, through ordinary uprightness, to lifted and ungrounded.
Source page 7 · Ordered categories, 0–6
PHY-GRD value
Anchor · Weight & Groundedness
0
Collapsed into gravity. Sunken chest, weight dragging.
1
Heavy, downward, low-slung.
2
Slightly settled; weight sitting back.
3
Ordinary upright organisation.
4
Clearly lifted. Long spine, weight forward on the balls of the feet.
5
Highly buoyant. Light and elevated; the person appears to grow.
6
Floating or rigidly elevated. Ungrounded; weight barely committed to the floor.
Weight & Groundedness · Observation notes
What to look for: Pelvis over feet, head–spine alignment, sternum height, whether steps land through the whole foot, Laban weight effort.
Do not confuse with:Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA). Low status often reads as low groundedness, but a grounded, heavy body can hold the highest status in the room.
Physiological Load & Environmental Demand
PHY-EXR
Exertion & Metabolic Load
Current physical demand on the body, from complete rest to maximum effort.
Source page 8 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-EXR value
Anchor · Exertion & Metabolic Load
0
Complete rest. No metabolic demand; breath is entirely available for speech.
1
Minimal. Sitting or standing with small movements.
2
Light activity. Strolling, gentle handling of objects.
Hard. Breath audibly competes with speech; phrases shorten.
5
Very hard. Speech arrives in short bursts timed to exhalations.
6
Maximal. Speech breaks down; single syllables between gasps.
Exertion & Metabolic Load · Observation notes
What to look for: Phrase length relative to breath, inhalation rate and audibility, chunking, load tremor, speech rhythm locked to a movement cadence.
Do not confuse with:Somatic Arousal (PHY-ARO), which can be maximal at complete rest (terror), and Energy & Vitality (PHY-VIT), which is reserve rather than current demand.
PHY-VIT
Energy & Vitality
The reserve available to the person: depletion at one end, surplus at the other. Covers sleep state, recovery and the aftermath of effort.
Source page 8 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-VIT value
Anchor · Energy & Vitality
0
Depleted. Nothing left; every movement costs visible effort.
1
Very low. Heavy and slow — spent, or badly under-slept.
2
Below baseline. Tired but functioning.
3
Ordinary daily energy.
4
Fresh and well-resourced.
5
High vitality. Buoyant, recovered, endorphin-lit.
6
Surging. Restless surplus that outruns the situation.
Energy & Vitality · Observation notes
What to look for: Initiation speed, recovery time after effort, postural collapse across the beat, blink and yawn rate, whether energy is being spent or conserved.
Do not confuse with:Exertion & Metabolic Load (PHY-EXR) (demand vs. reserve) and Somatic Arousal (PHY-ARO) (acute activation). Exhausted and highly aroused at once is the standard crisis signature.
PHY-DIS
Somatic Distress
How far the body is a source of trouble the person is managing — pain, illness, cold, heat, nausea, breathlessness. Rated by its effect on behaviour, never as a diagnosis.
Source page 8 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-DIS value
Anchor · Somatic Distress
0
The body is unproblematic. Nothing is being endured.
Clearly present. Behaviour is adjusted around it — position changes, protective posture.
4
Strong. Attention is repeatedly pulled to the body; speech breaks at the peaks.
5
Severe. Guarding dominates; the situation is handled around the distress.
6
Overwhelming. The state of the body governs everything; purposeful behaviour collapses.
Somatic Distress · Observation notes
What to look for: Guarding and splinting, protective hand placement, wincing, breath held against movement, avoidance of positions, interruptions timed to waves rather than to syntax.
Do not confuse with:Involuntary Intrusion (PHY-INV) (discrete involuntary events) and EmoNet emotion labels. Distress is a bodily state; suffering as an emotion is annotated separately. Never infer a condition from this axis.
PHY-COO
Motor Coordination & Control Integrity
How integrated the person's motor control appears, from gross disintegration through ordinary competence to virtuosic precision.
Source page 8 · Ordered categories, 0–6
PHY-COO value
Anchor · Motor Coordination & Control Integrity
0
Grossly disintegrated. Balance, timing and articulation fail; movement lands wide of its target.
1
Severely impaired. Unsteady, delayed, imprecise.
2
Mildly impaired. Small errors, slight overshoot, occasional stumbling over words or objects.
3
Ordinary everyday coordination.
4
Notably assured. Clean, economical movement.
5
Highly precise. Trained control; nothing is wasted.
6
Exceptional. Virtuosic accuracy of timing and placement.
Motor Coordination & Control Integrity · Observation notes
What to look for: Overshoot and correction, balance recovery, latency between intention and movement, precision of object handling, articulation of gesture as well as speech.
Do not confuse with: Cause. Intoxication, injury, exhaustion, cold and inexperience all lower this axis and it does not distinguish between them — record the cause as a situation tag, not as a score.
PHY-INV
Involuntary Intrusion
How often behaviour is broken into by events outside volitional control: tremor, shivering, coughing, sobbing, laughing fits, hiccups, tics, flinches, spasms.
Source page 9 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
PHY-INV value
Anchor · Involuntary Intrusion
0
None. Behaviour is uninterrupted by involuntary events.
1
A single minor intrusion, quickly absorbed.
2
Occasional intrusions; the line is recovered each time.
3
Regular intrusions that visibly interrupt the flow.
4
Frequent. The person works around them continuously.
5
Dominant. Most phrases are broken and recovery is incomplete.
6
Continuous hijacking. Volitional behaviour survives only between spasms.
Involuntary Intrusion · Observation notes
What to look for: Onset unaligned with syntax or intent, repair behaviour afterwards, embarrassment or apology, breath held in anticipation of the next event.
Do not confuse with:Motor Inhibition (COG-INH), which measures the effort to suppress impulses. This axis counts what gets through. Both rise together in stifled laughter or contained sobbing.
ENV-PRS
Environmental Pressure
How far the surroundings force adaptation: noise, wind, cold, heat, rain, crowding, confinement, unstable ground, protective clothing or equipment.
Source page 9 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
ENV-PRS value
Anchor · Environmental Pressure
0
Neutral. The environment makes no demand; behaviour is unshaped by it.
1
Barely noticeable. An occasional adjustment.
2
Mild. Slight raising of volume, slight bracing.
3
Clearly present. Projection, posture or route continuously adapted.
4
Strong. The environment sets the terms — shouting, shielding, gripping, bracing.
5
Severe. Most behaviour is a response to conditions; the interaction is squeezed in around them.
6
Overwhelming. Surviving the environment displaces the situation entirely.
Environmental Pressure · Observation notes
What to look for: Lombard-effect projection, squinting and shielding, turning away from wind or cold, grip on supports, movement restricted by clothing or gear, shortened exposure to the space.
Do not confuse with:Receptivity & Influencability (REC-INF), which is voluntary permeability to the environment. Pressure is imposed: it can be maximal while receptivity is closed down to nothing.
Kinetics & Expressive Form
KIN-AMP
Kinetic Amplitude
The size of the kinesphere: how much space the movement claims.
Source page 9 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
KIN-AMP value
Anchor · Kinetic Amplitude
0
Near-motionless. Movement confined to the fingers.
1
Very small. Gestures kept close to the torso.
2
Modest, contained gestures.
3
Ordinary conversational gesture size.
4
Expansive. Arms leave the torso; space is claimed.
5
Large. Full-body movement with wide reach.
6
Maximal. The whole room or stage used; extreme extension.
Kinetic Amplitude · Observation notes
What to look for: Distance of hands from the body's midline, elbow extension, travel through the space, head and torso excursion.
Do not confuse with:Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA). Claiming space is one status signal among many, but small movement can be high-status (stillness as authority).
KIN-FLO
Movement Flow
Bound versus free flow (Laban): whether movement is continuously braked or released into momentum.
Source page 9 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
KIN-FLO value
Anchor · Movement Flow
0
Completely bound. Every movement could be stopped at any instant; viscous control.
1
Strongly bound. Careful, checked, held back.
2
Slightly restrained flow.
3
Ordinary mixture of bound and free.
4
Noticeably released. Movement follows through past its target.
5
Free flow. Momentum carries the limbs.
6
Abandoned. Movement runs away with the body.
Movement Flow · Observation notes
What to look for: Presence of follow-through, deceleration profile at the end of gestures, whether movements can be interrupted mid-path, joint fixation.
Do not confuse with:Motor Tempo (KIN-TMP) (speed) and Muscular Tension (PHY-TEN) (tone). Slow movement can be free, and fast movement can be tightly bound.
KIN-TMP
Motor Tempo
The speed of bodily movement, rated independently of speech tempo.
Source page 10 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
KIN-TMP value
Anchor · Motor Tempo
0
Extremely slow. Movement almost sub-perceptual.
1
Markedly slow, drawn out.
2
Relaxed, unhurried motion.
3
Ordinary motor tempo.
4
Brisk. Quick initiation, short transitions.
5
Fast, urgent, clipped.
6
Frantic. Movement blurs.
Motor Tempo · Observation notes
What to look for: Gesture rate per minute, transition duration between positions, walking speed, initiation latency.
Do not confuse with: VoiceNet Tempo (TEMP) (speech tempo). Divergence between body tempo and speech tempo is diagnostic and should be captured under Multimodal Congruence (COH-CON).
FAC-EXP
Facial Expressivity
Amplitude and mobility of the face, independent of which emotion is displayed — the emotion category belongs to EmoNet.
Source page 10 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
FAC-EXP value
Anchor · Facial Expressivity
0
Deadpan. A near-frozen mask; no visible facial action.
1
Very low mobility. Only slight eye and mouth changes.
2
Restrained. Small, brief expressions.
3
Ordinary facial mobility.
4
Noticeably mobile. Clearly readable expressions.
5
Highly expressive. Large, sustained action with strong brow and mouth involvement.
6
Hyper-expressive. Caricatured and maximally amplified (clowning, silent film, cartoon dubbing).
Facial Expressivity · Observation notes
What to look for: Action-unit amplitude and rate, brow and mouth excursion, duration of held expressions, asymmetry.
Do not confuse with:Transparency vs. Masking (COH-MSK) — a highly mobile face can still be a mask — and Stylisation Level (FRM-STY), which rates the register of the whole performance rather than the face alone.
Social Dynamics & Resonance
SOC-ENT
Relational Entrainment
How far the person synchronises visually, acoustically and emotionally with an interaction partner (or an imagined audience). A measure of bidirectional coupling.
Source page 10 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
SOC-ENT value
Anchor · Relational Entrainment
0
Isolated and monologic. The partner's feedback is ignored; the text or the emotion is delivered regardless.
1
Minimal registration of feedback; no adaptation follows it.
2
Occasional adjustment of volume or pause without emotional contact.
3
Attentive. Active listening through nodding and eye contact; volume adapted, emotionally independent.
4
Clearly coupled. Timing and posture begin to align.
Full fusion. Shared breath and speech rhythm; states pass between the two bodies.
Relational Entrainment · Observation notes
What to look for: Posture mirroring, latency alignment, shared breath cycles, convergence of volume and tempo, contagious expression.
Do not confuse with:Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR), which is one-directional attention. Entrainment requires that the person is visibly changed by the other.
SOC-STA
Status & Spatial Dominance
Enacted status in the relationship: physical submission through to complete dominance (Johnstone's status play; visual counterpart of VoiceNet Stance (STNC)).
Source page 10 · Ordered categories, 0–6
SOC-STA value
Anchor · Status & Spatial Dominance
0
Maximally low. Making oneself small, appeasing, self-shrinking.
1
Clearly submissive. Deferential head, space ceded on approach.
2
Cooperative and slightly low; non-threatening.
3
Level. Neither yields nor claims.
4
Slightly high. Steady head, space claimed, pace set.
5
Clearly dominant. Controls tempo and territory; grants others their turns.
6
Overwhelming. Occupies all space and time; everyone else organises around them.
Status & Spatial Dominance · Observation notes
What to look for: Head stillness, space occupied, who yields on approach, who controls pause length, tolerance of silence, interruption without repair.
Do not confuse with:Goal Orientation (INT-GOL) (wanting something) and Proxemic Regulation (SOC-PRX) (distance). Status is relational and can invert within a single beat.
SOC-PRX
Proxemic Regulation
Distance regulation and approach–avoidance towards the partner, the object of interest or the camera.
Source page 11 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
SOC-PRX value
Anchor · Proxemic Regulation
0
Maximal avoidance. Recoils, increases distance, puts objects in between.
1
Stays clearly beyond social distance.
2
Slightly withdrawn; small backward drift.
3
Stable, culturally normal distance.
4
Slight approach. Leans in, closes gaps.
5
Clear approach into personal distance; touch initiated.
6
Intimate distance sustained; the boundary is continuously crossed.
Proxemic Regulation · Observation notes
What to look for: Absolute distance, direction of drift over the beat, barrier use, touch frequency and duration, reaction to the partner's approach.
Do not confuse with:Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA). Approach can be dominant or supplicating; distance can be contemptuous or fearful.
SOC-TRN
Turn-Taking Dynamics
How transitions between speakers are handled: gaps, latching, overlap and interruption.
Source page 11 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
SOC-TRN value
Anchor · Turn-Taking Dynamics
0
Long latencies; turns are dropped and not picked up.
1
Slow, hesitant uptake; gaps everywhere.
2
Slightly delayed but cooperative.
3
Ordinary smooth alternation with short gaps.
4
Tight uptake. Latched responses, minimal gap.
5
Frequent overlap; the partner's phrases are completed for them.
6
Continuous interruption. The turn is seized and held; the partner is overrun.
Turn-Taking Dynamics · Observation notes
What to look for: Gap and overlap duration, completion of the other's sentences, in-breath as a turn bid, whether interruptions are repaired.
Do not confuse with: Rateable only in dialogue — mark N/A (not applicable or not assessable here) for solo material. Distinguish from Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA): high-status characters often yield turns generously.
SOC-STK
Situational Stakes
How much appears to be at risk for the person in this situation, read from their behaviour rather than from the plot.
Source page 11 · Ordered categories, 0–6
SOC-STK value
Anchor · Situational Stakes
0
Nothing at stake. Purely phatic; no outcome depends on this.
1
Trivial. A mild preference about how it goes.
2
Minor. A small practical or social cost in play.
3
Real but bounded. Something to win or lose, recoverable either way.
4
High. An important outcome — a job, a relationship, a reputation.
5
Very high. Something that will not be recovered if it goes wrong.
6
Existential. Life, safety or an entire relationship rides on the next few minutes.
Situational Stakes · Observation notes
What to look for: Latency before committing to words, self-monitoring, escalation after failure, physiological leakage beneath composure, refusal to leave the subject, the cost the person is willing to pay to stay in the room.
Do not confuse with:Somatic Arousal (PHY-ARO) and Goal Orientation (INT-GOL). Stakes can be existential with the person flat and slow (shock), or trivial with the person frantic.
SOC-FRM
Formality & Ritual Register
The social register being observed, from wholly private and unguarded behaviour to codified, ceremonial conduct.
Source page 11 · Ordered categories, 0–6
SOC-FRM value
Anchor · Formality & Ritual Register
0
Wholly private. No register maintained; behaviour as if alone or entirely intimate.
1
Very informal. Familiar, unpoliced conduct.
2
Casual. Relaxed but socially aware.
3
Ordinary polite register.
4
Formal. Professional conduct, controlled address, explicit courtesies.
5
Highly formal. Institutional constraint on posture, timing and address.
6
Ritual. Behaviour prescribed by form — liturgy, protocol, drill, ceremony.
Formality & Ritual Register · Observation notes
What to look for: Posture maintained rather than settled, turn-taking discipline, prescribed movements or forms of address, tolerance for informal repair, how clothing is worn and handled.
Do not confuse with:Stylisation Level (FRM-STY), which is the mode of performance rather than the social register — a naturalistic film can depict maximum ritual. Also Status & Spatial Dominance (SOC-STA): the lowest- status person in the room is frequently the most formal.
Multimodal Coherence & Timing
COH-CON
Multimodal Congruence
Fit between the modalities: do tone of voice, facial expression, body language and semantic content agree emotionally and semantically?
Source page 12 · Ordered categories, 0–6
COH-CON value
Anchor · Multimodal Congruence
0
Extreme contradiction. Something cheerful said in an aggressive voice with folded arms.
1
Strong mismatch between at least two channels.
2
Mild dissonance. Body neutral or slightly off the message.
3
Generally fitting. Message and tone agree; body neutral but not disruptive.
4
Channels support one another; only minor divergences.
5
Strong alignment of word, voice, face and body.
6
Seamless symbiosis. The word 'grief', the tear in the voice, the lowered gaze and the collapsed shoulder form a single statement.
Multimodal Congruence · Observation notes
What to look for: Channel-by-channel comparison against the semantic content; note which channel diverges, since that is usually where the subtext is.
Do not confuse with: Deliberate incongruence — sarcasm, irony, subtext — also scores low here. This axis is descriptive, not evaluative; record intent through Transparency vs. Masking (COH-MSK) and Stylisation Level (FRM-STY).
COH-BLE
Emotional Blending & Continuity
The kinetic and auditory fluidity of state changes: how softly and organically one emotion or gesture passes into the next, without mechanical discontinuity.
Source page 12 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COH-BLE value
Anchor · Emotional Blending & Continuity
0
Glitchy. States are switched on and off; staccato, machine-like.
1
Very abrupt. Visible seams between states.
2
Somewhat jumpy transitions.
3
Comprehensible. The trigger for the change is visible and the transition takes a moment.
4
Smooth. States overlap briefly at the join.
5
Legato. A smile fades organically into thoughtfulness, carried by fine breath nuances.
6
Continuous morphing. No discrete states can be identified at all.
What to look for: Crossfade duration between expressions, presence of a visible trigger, whether breath carries the change, residue of the previous state.
Do not confuse with: VoiceNet Volatility (VOLT), which rates how much the state changes rather than how smoothly. High volatility with high blending is the signature of skilled emotional playing.
COH-MSK
Transparency vs. Masking
Assessment of leakage: how far the person tries to cover their true System-1 impulses with a social mask (display rules).
Source page 12 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COH-MSK value
Anchor · Transparency vs. Masking
0
Fully transparent. Every inner movement is immediately and mercilessly legible; no filter between feeling and expression.
1
Almost unfiltered; only the largest peaks are softened.
2
Light social smoothing.
3
Social smoothing. Emotion is shown but the peaks are rounded off — a polite smile over mild frustration.
4
Clear display rules. A chosen presentation is maintained.
5
Strong mask with leakage. Micro-expressions, nervous twitching or an unsteady voice betray the subtext.
6
Rigid façade. A fixed, artificial expression is held; the subtext surfaces only in fragments.
Transparency vs. Masking · Observation notes
What to look for: Expression onset and offset asymmetry, absent Duchenne markers, micro-expressions inconsistent with the held display, leakage in extremities and voice.
Do not confuse with:Motor Inhibition (COG-INH) (suppressing movement) and Executive Control vs. Spontaneity (COG-EXE) (planning content). Masking is about concealing the inner state, not about controlling the body or the script.
COH-SYN
Audio-Visual Synchrony
Temporal alignment of visible articulation, gesture strokes and breath with the acoustic signal.
Source page 12 · Ordered categories, 0–6 · Assess change over time
COH-SYN value
Anchor · Audio-Visual Synchrony
0
Grossly desynchronised. Lips and sound are visibly uncoupled — dubbing, sync error, artefact.
1
Frequent noticeable drift between voice and face or gesture.
2
Occasional mismatch, mostly on stressed syllables.
3
Ordinary natural synchrony.
4
Tight. Gesture strokes land on stressed syllables.
5
Very tight coupling of breath, gesture apex and prosodic peaks.
6
Machine-perfect. Unnaturally exact alignment across all channels.
Audio-Visual Synchrony · Observation notes
What to look for: Lip–audio offset, gesture apex relative to pitch accent, audible breath matched to visible inhalation, blink timing at clause boundaries.
Do not confuse with: Useful for dubbing quality control, avatar and lip-sync evaluation, and for flagging generated, re-voiced or heavily edited footage.
Performance Framing & Register
FRM-AUD
Audience Awareness
Orientation towards a watching audience or camera: fully private behaviour through to direct address.
Source page 13 · Ordered categories, 0–6
FRM-AUD value
Anchor · Audience Awareness
0
Fully private. Behaves as if unobserved; hidden-camera or documentary quality.
1
Minimal awareness. An occasional flicker towards the lens.
2
Aware of being seen but not playing to it.
3
Ordinary awareness. Behaviour slightly composed for being watched.
4
Clearly presentational. Blocking, volume and timing serve the viewer.
5
Strongly audience-directed. Rhythms shaped around anticipated reaction.
6
Direct address. The fourth wall is broken; the audience is treated as a scene partner.
Audience Awareness · Observation notes
What to look for: Cheating out towards the camera or house, holding for laughs, glances to the lens, projection beyond the scene partner's needs.
Do not confuse with:Stylisation Level (FRM-STY). A performance can be highly stylised and completely private (a stylised dream sequence) or entirely naturalistic and directly addressed (a vlog).
FRM-STY
Stylisation Level
Distance from everyday behaviour: naturalism through to codified stylisation.
Fully formalised. Behaviour governed by form rather than by situation (mask, butoh, chorus).
Stylisation Level · Observation notes
What to look for: Repetition of codified shapes, symmetry, held poses, movement quality unmotivated by the situation, scaling to the room rather than to the partner.
Do not confuse with:Facial Expressivity (FAC-EXP) and Kinetic Amplitude (KIN-AMP), which measure amplitude. Stylisation can be extreme and small (nō theatre); naturalism can be extreme and large (a genuine brawl).
Capture & Context
CAP-VIS
Subject Visibility
How much of the person is actually observable in the clip, including obstruction by masks, helmets, veils, visors or a hand over the face.
Source page 13 · Ordered categories, 0–6
CAP-VIS value
Anchor · Subject Visibility
0
Not visible. Off-screen or fully occluded.
1
Silhouette or back view only.
2
Body visible; the face is turned away or covered by a mask, helmet, veil or hand.
3
Face partly visible or partly covered; frequent occlusion or poor light.
4
Face and upper body reliably visible.
5
Full body and face clearly visible throughout.
6
Optimal. Full body, face and hands unobstructed, evenly lit.
Subject Visibility · Observation notes
What to look for: Rate for the clip as a whole; if visibility changes substantially, split the clip instead of averaging. Note the kind of obstruction — worn equipment also raises Environmental Pressure (ENV-PRS).
Do not confuse with: At 0–2, all facial dimensions (Facial Expressivity (FAC-EXP), Gaze Anchoring (ATT-GAZ), Transparency vs. Masking (COH-MSK)) must be marked N/A (not applicable or not assessable here) rather than guessed.
CAP-SHT
Shot Scale
The framing of the subject. Categorical rather than ordinal in the usual sense, but ordered from tightest to widest.
Source page 13 · Named categories; the numbers identify alternatives
CAP-SHT value
Anchor · Shot Scale
0
Extreme close-up (eyes, mouth).
1
Close-up (face).
2
Medium close-up (head and chest).
3
Medium (to the waist).
4
Medium long (to the knees).
5
Long / full figure (whole body).
6
Extreme long / wide (figure small within the frame).
Shot Scale · Observation notes
What to look for: For stage recordings, rate the effective framing of the camera, not the seat the audience occupies.
Do not confuse with: At 0–1, body dimensions (KIN-* (kinetic movement dimensions), Weight & Groundedness (PHY-GRD), Proxemic Regulation (SOC-PRX)) are usually N/A (not applicable or not assessable here). At 6, facial dimensions are usually N/A (not applicable or not assessable here).
CAP-INT
Interaction Setting
The interactional configuration of the clip; determines whether the SOC (social-dynamics dimensions) group applies.
Source page 14 · Named categories; the numbers identify alternatives
CAP-INT value
Anchor · Interaction Setting
0
Solo, apparently unaware of being observed.
1
Solo monologue or soliloquy.
2
Direct address to camera or audience.
3
Dyad (one scene partner).
4
Small group (three to five).
5
Large group or crowd.
6
Mediated exchange (telephone, video call, voice-over).
Interaction Setting · Observation notes
What to look for: Where the configuration changes mid-clip, annotate the dominant setting and note the change. Record the kind of addressee alongside the value where it is unusual — an infant, an animal, a device, an absent or imagined person — since the target reshapes register even when the configuration is nominally solo or dyadic.
Do not confuse with: At 0–2, Relational Entrainment (SOC-ENT), Proxemic Regulation (SOC-PRX) and Turn-Taking Dynamics (SOC-TRN) are N/A (not applicable or not assessable here); Partner-Directed Attention (ATT-PTR) may still apply if an object or an absent person is the target.
CAP-POS
Body Configuration
The gross configuration of the body relative to gravity and support. Context rather than behaviour, but it changes what an ordinary value means on several other axes.
Source page 14 · Named categories; the numbers identify alternatives
CAP-POS value
Anchor · Body Configuration
0
Lying — supine or prone.
1
Reclined or propped; weight substantially supported.
2
Seated.
3
Standing.
4
In locomotion — walking, running, climbing, riding.
5
Crouched, kneeling, bent, or confined in a restricted space.
6
Suspended, inverted, pinned or physically restrained.
Body Configuration · Observation notes
What to look for: Rate the dominant configuration of the unit; where it changes substantially, split the unit rather than averaging.
Do not confuse with: The behavioural consequences belong to Weight & Groundedness (PHY-GRD), Muscular Tension (PHY-TEN), Exertion & Metabolic Load (PHY-EXR) and Kinetic Amplitude (KIN-AMP), whose ordinary values differ by configuration — a lying speaker at Weight & Groundedness (PHY-GRD) 3 is not the same body as a standing one.
Provenance and terms
Core definitions and page references come from PerformanceNet v2.1. Historical introduction markers are grouped here instead of repeated inside entries.
Concurrent Task Load (ACT-TSK); Exertion & Metabolic Load (PHY-EXR); Energy & Vitality (PHY-VIT); Somatic Distress (PHY-DIS); Motor Coordination & Control Integrity (PHY-COO); Involuntary Intrusion (PHY-INV); Environmental Pressure (ENV-PRS); Situational Stakes (SOC-STK); Formality & Ritual Register (SOC-FRM); Body Configuration (CAP-POS).
Abbreviations retained from the sources
COGL — Cognitive Load; AROU — Arousal.
TENS — Tension; TEMP — Tempo.
STNC — Stance; VOLT — Volatility.
DLPFC — dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is historical brain-region language, not an observed measurement.
System 1 / System 2 — source shorthand for intuitive / deliberate processing; the performance does not establish a cognitive mechanism.
N/A — not applicable or not assessable in the specified conditions; preserve the reason.
KIN-* — the kinetic movement dimensions. SOC — the social-dynamics family.
The six VoiceNet names were checked against the pinned source codebook. Audible and visible dimensions remain distinct. A/B/C names are copied from the supplied reference.